Altidore scores another Europa League goal

Altidore continued his fine start to the season by scoring the opener in AZ Alkmaar's Europa League match against FC Metalist Kharkiv on Thursday. The U.S. international got on the scoreboard after making a run, controlling a pass with his left foot and hitting a shot to the lower right corner with his right in the 26th minute.

The goal was Altidore's seventh time this season across all competitions.

The game ended 1-1 as FC Metalist Kharkiv found an equalizer in the second half.

what is so exciting about this is the fact that you can see a steady improvement in all teh important things, positioning, patience, first touch and finishing. thank GOD Jozy has found a place to grow, not just mark time and collect a paycheck.

Jozy was recently interviewed and discussed how ideal his current situation was in terms of development. He said at AZ there was a ton of time spent on player development and it has really helped his awareness. He said at Villarreal and his loan stops the focus was simply on getting results. Development was a focus of the youth levels not the Sr levels.

This move will pay massive dividends for Jozy as he is finally learning how to actually play the game.

I have been very pleasantly surprised with his form of late. I was often outspoken about both his poor first touch and finishing ability.

Yes, it was a heavy pass that he handled well. Yes, he did time his run very well. And yes, it was a fantastic finish that looked like it was taken by a seasoned veteran.

I have thought that he has always played well with his back to the goal, draws fouls well, and actually sees the field quite nicely…but he was unable to finish like a striker should. Lately I have been impressed with his goal production and technical ability.

What this highlights is how terrible the service of our National Team central midfielders have always been to the forwards. I’m not saying Jozy hasn’t always had a lot of technical things to work on, but our midfielders’ ability to hold the ball and deliver an incisive pass is criminal.

The reason McBride was a beast was because he was all about aerial presence. We’ve always had dangerous wingers that have the ability to serve it into the box. Jozy isn’t that type of player, despite his size.

Other than counter-attacking goals, most of our National Team goals come off of scurries in the box and set pieces. I see this woeful lack of ability in the central midfield even in my son’s youth club soccer games at Gold level.

Until we figure this out on the development side, we will be a second tier soccer nation. Props to Jozy for his progress this year.

you can’t teach kids vision and anticipation. First you teach kids how to make the runs and then you teach kids how to make the passes. A good sport for kids to quickly learn these skills in a much more repetitive manner is actually basketball. If your kid plays both sports chances are if he is a decent basketball gaurd he is actually better suited to be the #10 as well. As a guard you learn how to make these passes and you do it with a lot more repetition than in soccer where you may only get 5 – 10 chances in a game

This Is why I think we need to send more young, potential national team strikers to the dutch league instead for spain or the epl directly. Spain and England are great places to play but not to initially develop.

I don’t think his logic is saying that at all. His implication seems to be that for the most part its better not to jump into the best leagues in the world (La Liga, Barclays PL) for a young American player. I’d definitely agree with that. Holden at 25 and Donovan at 28 is not the same thing as a Jozy or Freddy at 20.

I think you are spot on with the importance of a manager having a player in his plans though.

Frankly, I don’t think the success he is having should come as any surprise to anyone who actually watched him from the time he came up. He’s getting better and he is refining his technique, but his development is consistent with his potential.

The biggest things for him were learning to work hard (no the only young player that had to learn this) and THAT HE WAS NOT PLAYED CORRECTLY. He was never, ever a target forward. Get him a little wide, let him find space and let him attack. The biggest difference between here and Hull (for example) is that AZ is using him properly.

I figured they would, hence my preseason prediction of 25 goals, all comp.

I have always believed that basketball is the best cross training sport for soccer. I totally agree that playing it helps your soccer abilities. Learning how to post up a guy, with your back to the basket would be great for target forwards. Playing power forward would help target forwards and centerbacks, and playing gaurd would help number tens and midfielders. Small forward for fullbacks and wingers.

Worst case, we get guys with good ball handling skills and they become great keepers.

Absolutely agree. Jozy has often played more like Deuce than McBride. Jozy prefers to run at players and work with the ball at his feet. He’s improving technically and we all know the athleticism is there. The problem for Jozy at the US team, even in Klinsy’s 4-3-3 system is that the Jozy is still the closest thing to a center forward needed at the top of the formation even if it’s not his true position.

That first touch taking the pass across his body with his left foot to set up the right footed shot looks like a major development in his game. A real striker’s goal. If Jozy can be dangerous like that going forward now, he’s going to be deadly in two years. And that’s before you get to his good positioning onsides but behind his defenders on that side of the field and the nice curl to beat the goaltender. I’ll tell you, nothing in soccer makes me happier right now than an Altidore goal. Nothing.